The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Diesel engines typically produce torque more efficiently than gasoline engines. This increase in efficiency may be due to an increased compression ratio and/or the combustion of diesel fuel, which has a higher energy density than that of gasoline. The combustion of diesel fuel produces particulate. The particulate is filtered from exhaust gas using a diesel particulate filter (DPF). With time, the DPF may fill with particulate, thereby restricting the flow of the exhaust gas. The particulate may be combusted by a process referred to as regeneration.
Regeneration may be accomplished, for example, by injecting fuel into the exhaust gas after the combustion of the diesel fuel. One or more catalysts may be disposed in the stream of the exhaust gas and may combust the injected fuel. The combustion of the fuel by the catalysts generates heat, thereby increasing the temperature of the exhaust gas. The increased temperature of the exhaust gas may burn the remainder of the particulate trapped in the DPF.